Twitter Just Announced Changes to How They Address Online Abuse

We love Twitter for being a treasure trove of news and information (and hilarious/poignant memes). What we don't love? The fact that Twitter has also become an outlet for trolls and bullies who take advantage of the platform's openness to harass others. Luckily, the people behind Twitter feel the same way; the social network announced on Tuesday that they are taking new steps to put a stop to the hate.

Now, all Twitter users will have the ability to mute notifications for specific keywords, phrases and even entire conversations. The feature will roll out over the next few days, and Twitter promised to make muting more comprehensive over time.

Twitter has also announced that it has adopted a more direct way for users to report abuse for themselves or on behalf of others. The network outlines prohibited behavior in their hateful conduct policy. To better enforce violations of this policy, Twitter said it also has retrained their support staff on their own tools to ensure swifter action against offenders.

In a statement announcing the new anti-abuse measures, Twitter said that curbing online bullying is essential to carrying out the platform's mission of creating a space where all points of view are welcome.

"The amount of abuse, bullying, and harassment we’ve seen across the Internet has risen sharply over the past few years," the statement reads. "These behaviors inhibit people from participating on Twitter, or anywhere. Abusive conduct removes the chance to see and share all perspectives around an issue, which we believe is critical to moving us all forward. In the worst cases, this type of conduct threatens human dignity, which we should all stand together to protect."

The move comes at a particularly significant time for the U.S. since multiple reports of harassment by supporters of President-Elect Donald Trump have been brought to light. Trump told any of his supporters responsible for the abuse to "stop it" in a recent interview on 60 Minutes.